SURFING SENSATION SAYS DON’T DICK WITH NAPSTER

The surf-guitar legend tells nme.com that the controversial file-swapping programme is "bullshit"...

Guitar veteran Dick Dale – the man who wrote ‘MISERLOU’, which provides ‘PULP FICTION’ with its infamous opening surf-riff – spoke out today (September 22) against NAPSTER and advised young bands NOT to sign to record companies.

Dale – who was in London to perform alongside The Fall tonight at the Royal Festival Hall as part of the John Peel Sessions under the banner of the Outro Festival – told nme.com that he sides with Courtney Love on the debate about record companies abusing artists.

He said: “I’ve been saying this for the last 25 years and I say it on the stage, ‘Kids, don’t sign with a label.”

But he added that, despite being a fan of the Internet, he disapproved of file-swapping technologies like Napster .

He stated: “I think it’s bullshit. I don’t think people should be able to do that. I think people who write songs should be able to get the royalties … this thing here is a federal offence … [they should] protect people, protect songwriters.” And he drew an analogy between the Napster situation and the Stooges – the American comedy veterans, rather than the punk icons! – saying, “Look what happened to the Three Stooges. As many times as you’ve seen their films being played – they never got a dime.”

Dale revealed that he has finished recording songs – which he described as “half-beast and half-acoustic” – and will spend the months leading up to the album’s release next spring whittling the tracks down to 13 and producing them. He hopes to release the effort on his new label he plans to call Beast.